1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computers and information handling systems, and more particularly to computers employing function extension apparatuses, such as a docking station.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known that a personal computer device (PC) may be of many forms, including a desktop, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop, a notebook, and similar. In many of the portable forms, the personal computer devices (PCs) typically have limited facilities and functions as a result of the interest in reducing the size and weight of these portable devices. One approach to assist in providing a user additional features and functionality for these portable devices has included making available a docking station device. By employing the docking station, a user is able to use functions and communicate with additional peripherals that are not provided for or with the portable PC alone. The user simply mounts the portable PC on the receiving docking station, and operably connects the portable PC to various devices through the docking station.
However, in docking a portable PC to a docking station, the power state of the portable PC is typically affected. For instance, when an operable docked portable PC is undocked from a docking station, a “hot undocking” results. Similarly, when a docked portable PC is a sleep state and is undocked from a docking station, a “warm undocking” results.
Although the hot undocking is expedient to a user, as the PC can be undocked from the docking station instantly after stopping the use of an extension function via the docking station or while the PC is still in the operational state, in certain situations the hot undocking may have detrimental results.
By way of example, in the situation where a user first mounts a portable PC on a docking station, then works from a large external display and keyboard, then removes the portable PC from the docking station at the end of the work session, and then moves to another location while carrying the portable PC, the portable PC maybe detrimentally affected. In this example, if the portable PC is in the operational state, the hard disk unit of the portable PC is also in the operational state.
Since the hard disk unit is sensitive to vibration or shock, the carrying of the operational portable PC by the user may inadvertently expose the portable PC to damage. Hence, it is recommended to avoid the operational state of the portable PC in carrying the portable PC because there exists the possibility that the hard disk may be subject to vibration or shock damage if the portable PC is bumped or dropped. Therefore, it is instructive that the user must make the effort of first setting the portable PC to be in the sleep state (i.e., sleep mode) to in effect stop the hard disk unit before carrying the portable PC, even if the portable PC is undocked from the docking station. A typical portable PC may be manually placed in a sleep state, or may be automatically placed in a sleep state if the user does not operate the keys of the portable PC for a predetermined period of time. However, a user may often be unable to manually place the portable PC in to a sleep state due to time constraints, and, similarly, the period of time needed to lapse before a portable PC automatically enters a sleep state typically exceeds the time constraints facing an active user.
By way of further example, even if a user is able to successfully undock a portable PC in a sleep state (i.e., a warm undock) such may be less than desirable by the user as the user may desire to continue working from the resources available on the portable PC, which are unavailable following undocking.
It is also known that certain operating systems resident on a PC may automatically detect the power state of the PC when undocked from a docking station, without prompting from or interference to a user. Examples of such operating systems (OS) include those manufactured by Microsoft Corporation, Redmond Wash., for instance: Windows® 98, Windows® ME, Windows® XP, and Windows® 2000. However, these OS do not assist a user in overcoming the aforementioned problems where the user selects to remove the PC from an extension apparatus, such as a docking station.
In Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2001-167038, there is disclosed means for resolving nonconformity at the next resume when the PC is undocked in the sleep state from the docking station. Also, in Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2000-339071, it is disclosed that the PC is equipped with an indicator for notifying the user that the PC is in a suspend state so that the PC can be removed in the suspend state from the extension apparatus. However, similarly, neither of these references assists in overcoming the aforementioned problems where the user selects to remove the PC from an extension apparatus, such as a docking station.